At present, press stamping tool design engineers are required to continuously learn new skills in order to be able to work with new materials. Not only are they required to work with new materials, but also with new metal forming technologies. What is that the process of creating press tools is an ever-changing one and those who wish to get a job as an engineer need to learn new skills. Companies are always looking for employees that are capable of keeping up with the times, new metal forming technologies that is. Press tooling is indeed intimidating, but you can improve your metalworking skills. If you want to improve your metal welding skills, keep in mind the following:

Understand your strengths and weaknesses

A good idea is to approach performance the same way athletes, like football players. Athletes know very well that performance is related to the competitor’s strengths and, most importantly, weaknesses. What you have to do is understand that materials, tooling, and equipment conditions affect the outcome. Learn as much as you can about materials and metal forming technologies. For instance, pressing metals like brass or titanium requires different techniques. Obviously, practicing your skills on a tool press is too expensive; there are tests though that you can take to measure how competent you are.

Pay attention to die clearance and turret alignment

Top-performing tooling depends on the die set up for production and station alignment. Uniform die clearance around the punch’s periphery is important. Die clearance refers to the type and thickness of the material and different types of metal have different die clearances. For optimum performance, you need to use the correct clearance. To determine whether the die clearance is correct, you have to examine your slugs. The slugs reflect the condition of the setup.

Match expertise with machine

A few years ago, you only had two types of machines to choose from: mechanical and hydraulic. There required long setup times, which is the reason why it was practically impossible to produce tools in large quantities. Fortunately, CNC machines were introduced. the CNC machine has a mini computer that acts as the controller unit. The best thing you can do is match your expertise with such a performing machine. The only issue is that you will have to undergo training to be able to operate such a press. Look for a training program that can support your needs.